Page 21 of Burly and Obsessed

“Jax is going to kill you.”

I laugh and shake my head. “He can try.”

CHAPTER 9

ANDREA

Ace kisses me again. His lips sear mine as the music swells around us. A new song starts, and Ace wraps his arms around me, drawing me closer and leading me in a slow dance. The VA Center is magical with color and light, but all I can focus on is the solid warmth of his chest against mine.

“Everyone’s staring,” I whisper, acutely aware of the eyes tracking our every move. Hanna and Lindy hover near the dessert table, not even pretending not to watch. Olivia’s mouth hangs slightly open in shock.

“Let them stare.” Ace’s voice is low and intimate, his breath warm against my temple.

Heat floods my cheeks—partly from the kiss that still tingles on my lips, partly from becoming the center of attention at my brother’s wedding. I catch fragments as couples dance past us.

“...always knew they would...” “...Jax is going to...” “...about time he...”

Exhilaration battles with terror in my chest. This is everything I’ve wanted—but is it real?Reallyreal?

“You said we’d have to hide from Jax.” The words slip out before I can stop them, my hands resting lightly against his chest. “In the greenhouse.”

His steps falter slightly, but he doesn’t break rhythm. “I was wrong.”

“Why the change of heart?” I need to hear him say it, need to understand what’s different now.

His eyes hold mine, no trace of his usual deflective humor. “I thought I was being funny, but I was just scared. All I did was hurt you, and I’m so sorry about that. I’m never making that mistake again.”

He’s saying all the right things, but can I trust them to last? Three years of watching him retreat whenever Jax appears has taught me caution. Pretty words and some panty-melting kisses can fade when tested against reality.

“This isn’t the first time we’ve been here, Ace.” I keep my voice steady, though my pulse isn’t. “Remember Leesa’s birthday party last year? We were talking all night, and the moment Jax walked over, you ran.”

His jaw tightens. “I remember.”

“And the Fourth of July picnic, when your hand was on mine under the table until Jax sat down.”

“I know.” His grip tightens as if afraid I’ll pull away. “I’ve been a coward. I put Jax’s respect and my own father’s demands above what matters most.”

“What changed?” The question hangs between us, weighted with three years of almost-moments.

“I did.” His fingers brush a strand of hair from my face. “When Jax gave his vows today, all I could think was that he’d found something worth risking everything for. And so have I.”

My body surrenders before my mind does, leaning into his touch. The protective walls I’ve built against disappointment waver. I want to believe him.

“You once said you didn’t need a protector.” Ace’s voice drops lower. “You needed a partner. I want to be that for you, Andrea. If you’ll still have me.”

The weight of the moment settles over me—this isn’t just between us anymore. It’s real. It’s public. After years of longing, we’re finally doing something about it.

“I want to believe you.” My voice catches on the words. “But I’m scared, Ace. Scared that this will fall apart the moment it gets difficult.”

“Look at me.” His hand tilts my chin up. “I’m not running this time. Not from Jax. Not from us. I meant what I said—I’m in love with you, Andrea. I have been since the first time I saw you. There was never any doubt in my mind that you were—are—the woman for me, but I was filled with doubt whether you wanted me. I had just…when I came here, both Jax and my dad gave me rules to follow, and I was scared of the consequences if I didn’t. And Jax’s number one rule...”

“…was to stay away from me,” I finish. I love my brother, and when I was younger it felt special in a way, that he was so protective of me. But now I’m realizing he was holding me back, by warning Ace, and all the men before him who dared look at me, to stay away from me and by putting the idea in my head thatIneeded his approval for who I share myself with.

“Three years have been wasted because I was afraid.” His forehead touches mine. “I’m not afraid anymore.”

I hear a commotion and when I glance over Ace’s shoulder, I spot Jax. The change in his expression is immediate—confusion giving way to something darker as he says something to Leesa and moves in our direction. She grabs his arm, trying to stop him, but he shakes her off.

Here we go. Again.

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